AustLit

'Ruby and Bobby are best friends who spend their spare time together in a tree house where they retreat from the adult world and share their secrets. To Ruby’s dismay, Bobby’s family life is far different from her own and when he is forced to leave home at a young age it seems that the two may never see each other again.

'After many years the events of the past resurface, and as an adult, Ruby is unexpectedly faced with the gravity of their secrets and the seeking of justice. A court case forces her to search for Bobby but will she find him amidst the vastness of the Australian outback and if she does, will he want to return to what he has spent his entire life running away from.

'This is a story about the secrets that children keep, the strength that comes from a childhood friendship and a special family love that overcomes the hardships of the past.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'An isolated fishing shack on a beautiful bay in the Whitsundays provides Luke with a retreat where he can find peace and solitude. However, the discovery of family war relics, and a developing relationship with the beautiful Lily, connects family histories and reveals a story that threatens to destroy his chance at real happiness.

'Will the wartime secrets prove to be the breaking point for a beautiful romance? Or can two families put the deeds of the past behind them?

'Romantic and purely Australian, The Shack by the Bay captures the pristine beauty of the Whitsundays and the wartime memories of older Australians while introducing an eclectic blend of friends and family.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.